


Goodnight

by Lilah_Brown



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilah_Brown/pseuds/Lilah_Brown
Summary: Another look at Goodnight Robicheaux...
Relationships: Goodnight Robicheaux/Other(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Goodnight

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing but the original character of Serena.
> 
> NOTE: Look, I know Billy and Goodnight were a couple and I love them. However, my Ethan Hawke fangirl self wanted to see him with a woman too.

CHAPTER ONE

God, he loved her.

In a short time, she had become his world He always left one meeting with her counting the minutes until the next.

And he was old enough to be her father.

Miss Serena Weston, granddaughter of the town proprietor, was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

And he knew she loved him. She loved him, a worn-out so-called war hero, the Angel of Death personified, murderer extraordinaire. An out-of-work bounty hunter with just two friends to his name. Penniless (although, he was assured, he would inherit a fair sum when his father died), homeless, and all-around failure. She loved him. 

He made sure his feelings weren’t obvious, convinced she didn’t know what she wanted. She was a young girl who had a crush on an older man she saw as a hero, helping to save the town although he ran away.

She wasn’t meant for him. He was certain. Hopefully I can be like a favorite uncle. She’ll get over me; I know I’ll never get over her.

He remembered the night she found him crying and crawled in bed with him. It was an innocent gesture; she held him in her arms and stroked his hair as he sobbed.  
And that night Goodnight Robicheaux slept peacefully, the cries of the men he killed silenced for the first time in seventeen years.

CHAPTER TWO

They had been tracking the thief for five hours. In their part of the country, horse thievery was punishable by hanging. They found him hiding in the bushes near the next town east.

The thief laughed.  
“It worked. I swear to god, I didn’t think it would. I told ‘em, ‘They ain’t gonna send Goodnight Robicheaux himself out here lookin’ for me.’ But they did!”  
Robicheaux frowned.  
“What exactly are you referring to, good sir?”  
A slow smile spread across the thief’s lips, revealing grimy teeth stained from cigars and whiskey.  
“My brothers were at Antietam. You got ’em both.”  
Robicheaux sighed and maintained a nonchalant front even as he felt his heart drop to his knees.  
“You know,” the thief continued, “if I had a pretty lil’ thing like that waiting for me at home I don’t think I’d ever leave ‘er.”  
Robicheaux’s blood ran cold.  
“What are you going on about?”  
“That beautiful wife o’yours. Expectin’ and all. It’d be a shame if something happened to her, wouldn’t it?”  
“WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT?”  
“As you took my brothers from me, Imma take your woman from you.” 

CHAPTER THREE

She gazed up into his eyes. The firelight revealed a smattering of tears in her eyes. Her brows were pulled tight, hope and shame shining from her face.  
“Just one night. That’s all I ask. I know you don’t love me--“  
“’Rena,” he sighed, dropping his head.  
“--not like I love you. But all I’m asking for is one night.”  
Her face moved dangerously close to Robicheaux’s.  
“Before I say yes to Joshua, give me one night.”  
Her mouth was just a breath away from Robicheaux’s. Leaning forward, she brushed her lips across his.  
It was enough.  
Robicheaux felt his resolve break like a dam gushing forth water. Lunging forward, his lips ravished her mouth. She was obviously new to kissing, unsure as what to do. Robicheaux guided her, his tongue coaxing hers and heads turning in attempts to get closer.  
Reaching down he placed his arms beneath her knees. Rising, her carried her to her bedroom, his foot reaching behind him to slam the door.

CHAPTER FOUR

“I need to learn to shoot, and the others say you’re a fair shot.”  
Robicheaux finally felt his mind fall back from whatever cloud it had gone to and reminded himself that staring was rude. She didn’t seem to notice though, all of her concentration focused on convincing him to teach her.  
A fair shot? He looked over her shoulder where Farraday and Red Harvest stood grinning.  
“Well,” he drawled, “I can certainly help you. Far be it from me to refuse a lady, Miss…” He trailed off, hoping she would give her first name.  
The girl smiled.  
“Serena. Serena Weston. Pleased to meet you,” she answered, holding out her hand.  
Robicheaux gently grasped her hand and planted a kiss on the back. Serena gave a little gasp, obviously not expecting that attention.  
“Goodnight Robicheaux at your service. You may call me Goodie.”  
Serena’s brow furrowed. Robicheaux felt his heart drop. She recognizes my name.  
“I don’t mean to step out of line, but you have a name as awesome as ‘Goodnight’ and you choose to go by ‘Goodie’?”  
Robicheaux frowned, unable to make sense of her intentions with those words. Serena noticed and hastily continued.  
“May I call you ‘Goodnight’ instead?”  
Robicheaux smiled, and felt a wave of relief flow through his body. She didn’t recognize his name. This was a miracle. For some reason, he didn’t want her to know who he was. She was too beautiful to know.  
He came back from his thoughts when he felt a slight tug at his hand. He still hadn’t released her hand, he realized.  
For the second time in as many minutes, he felt red twinge his cheeks.  
“So you’ll teach me to shoot?” Serena asked, hope in her eyes.  
“Of course,” Robicheaux promised, feeling warm inside for the first time in years.

CHAPTER FIVE

Twenty-three confirmed kills. Angel of Death.  
Farraday’s words rang in his ears. Yes, that’s what he was. The Angel of Death, murderer extraordinaire.  
Robicheaux heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. Serena, he thought, his eyes falling shut. Not Serena.  
His angel had no idea of the killer he was. Now she knew.  
Robicheaux refused to turn around, frightened of the revulsion he would see in her eyes, or worse yet, the admiration.  
He had to get out of there. Had to leave this town. They would be fine without him and Serena was leaving before the gunfight. She would be safe.  
His stare hard on his horse, he strode away, mounted, and rode to find Billy. His closest friend would understand why he had to leave.  
“Goodnight!”  
He kept riding.

CHAPTER SIX

He actually twisted his hat.  
Goodnight looked down at his hands where his hat was a crumpled mess. I’m getting too old to be so nervous over one simple girl.  
His head rose sharply as he heard the stagecoach roll down Main Street. He had been in Rabbit Creek, ten miles east of Rose Creek, waiting for the stage for over two hours. Finally, it was here.  
Serena would be on this stage. Her grandfather had decided to send her east to visit her aunt, safe away while the fighting in Rose Creek took place.  
Robicheaux hadn’t spoken to her since before Farraday revealed who he really was. Unable to meet her eyes, he had run away like a coward, leaving the town and his friends to their own devices.  
Except her. He would have never left if he didn’t know she would be safe from the fighting.  
Still, he couldn’t just disappear without saying goodbye. He would never see her again after today, and revulsion or not, he wanted to see her one last time.  
The passengers disembarked from the stage one-by-one. He saw three familiar young women from Rose Creek, but no Serena. He felt the old familiar panic coming on, this time about the girl he was beginning to suspect he was in love with.  
Striding forward, he grasped the arm of one of the Rose Creek girls.  
“Where’s Serena?”  
The girl twisted her arm out of his hold. She looked as if she was going to give him a good tongue lashing, but something in his face stopped her.  
“She stayed behind. She said the town needed her, and somehow she got her grandfather to agree.”  
Goodnight looked to the west. His angel was there, fighting, braver than he had ever been.  
Thrusting his hat on his head, he ran to his horse, mounting in one fluid motion. With breakneck speed, he rode out of town, his heart beating her name in time with his horse’s hooves.  
Serena. Serena. Serena.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The town hall dance was festively under way, the couples’ dance competition in full swing. Robicheaux and Serena were the only newlyweds among the group.  
“OW!”  
The couple came to an abrupt stop. Leaning down, Robicheaux massaged his foot as he glared at his wife.  
“What was that for?”  
She smiled, a lazy, knowing smile.  
“Well, I guess since we have lost the competition, there’s nothing left but for us to go home.”  
She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, her hair forming a curtain around her mouth.  
“But I don’t think I can wait until we get home…” she trailed off, darting her tongue and licking Robicheaux’s ear.  
Robicheaux stared, hoping what he was hearing was true.  
“Far be it from me to refuse you, Madame Robicheaux. Let’s leave this place.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Robicheaux had been expecting the punch.  
It was something fierce, Farraday’s fist slamming into his jaw and knocking him backwards into the bar. Luckily, he managed to grab hold of the edge so he wouldn’t flip over. The bartender wouldn’t appreciate that much.  
“What do you mean, you’re marrying her?”  
Robicheaux sighed.  
“I mean exactly what you think. I’m marrying Serena. We love each other and I’m tired of running from it. I’m sorry, we never meant to do anything behind your back. But I can’t deny it any longer,” Robicheaux said, his voice clear and strong.  
Farraday’s fists slowly unclenched but the tic in his jaw continued.  
“Well, I guess that’s that then.”  
Robicheaux nodded and turned toward the swinging doors.  
“Robicheaux!” Farraday called.  
Robicheaux slowly turned around, ready for his face to meet Farraday’s fist yet again.  
“You know how I feel about her. You mistreat her, and god help me I will kill you.”  
Robicheaux nodded and turned to leave.  
“I would expect and want no less of you,” he replied, placing his hat upon his head.

CHAPTER NINE

“You know, Christmas is my most favorite holiday,” Robicheaux murmured awkwardly. Anything to fill the silence in the air and hopefully ease the tension.  
“You?”  
“Valentine’s Day,” she replied flatly.  
“Well, in Louisiana, we would always—”  
“At this moment I don’t care about what you did in Louisiana.”  
The tone of her voice made Robicheaux gulp in fear.  
“What I do care about is the fact that it’s been three weeks and you’ve avoided me every chance you get. You don’t even come to Sunday dinner anymore and Grandfather is beginning to wonder what happened between us.”  
“’Rena—”  
“Don’t you ‘Rena me. Was what we did so bad that you need to run away every time you see me? Am I so horrible?”  
Robicheaux jerked his head in surprise. “NO!”  
“Well then what is it?”  
He sighed. “It’s complicated.”  
Quiet reigned between them as Serena processed his answer. Taking a deep breath, she continued.  
“You know, I never meant to make you feel bad—”  
Robicheaux started shaking his head, words forming on his lips.  
“I just love you Goodnight. I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I love you with every breath in my body,” she whispered.  
Robicheaux felt his body fill with warmth at her admission. He always felt this way around her, and it amplified tenfold when she showed affection toward him.  
“Serena,” he began, “you’ll find someone worthy of you—”  
“You are worthy of me!”  
“Someone who can give you everything—”  
“All I want is you!”  
“Someone clean and young and not a murderer,” Robicheaux choked. He’d never confessed to anyone before.  
The silence stretched like miles between them.  
“Is that what you think you are?”  
Robicheaux stared at a spot over her shoulder, the muscles in his jaw ticking.  
“Goodnight,” Serena breathed, reaching for his face. Gently placing her hands on his cheeks, she turned him until his eyes met hers. The tears she saw there were heartbreaking.  
“I see you Goodnight. I see how you hear those men cry at night. I see how you carry yourself, hunched over because you want no one to notice you until you decide they should. I see the way you cringe when strangers call your name. I see how you think you’re nothing more than a murderer for a cause that ending up failing. I see you Goodnight, and I love you just the same for it all.”  
The snow continued to drift down, their breaths mingling in the night air. Robicheaux just stared at her, wishing his feet were as warm as his heart.  
“You know,” she said, glancing up, “If Christmas is your favorite holiday, then we should honor traditions, don’t you think?”  
He looked up. Mistletoe.  
Before he could register her movement Robicheaux felt her lips on his. He was dead still for a moment, but then the warmth seemed to flow from his brain down his body and back again. His heart was on fire. Reaching forward he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her for all his was worth, like a dying man and she was the elixir of life.  
He was tired of running. If God saw fit to gift him with this perfect creature then he would accept her.  
For the first time in his life, Goodnight Robicheaux felt forgiven.

CHAPTER TEN

The barrel of the gun tasted oily. Nasty, full of hate and crime and heartbreak. Robicheaux prayed for the strength to pull the trigger.  
In the next room over, the baby began to cry.  
Taking the gun from his mouth, he breathed the child’s name.  
“Pierre…”  
Serena had been far enough along that the baby survived when she did not. Cut from her stomach, Pierre was the spitting image of his mother.  
Opening the desk drawer, Robicheaux put the gun away.  
Another day, perhaps.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Pierre was sobbing.  
Robicheaux struggled to breathe. The cancer was taking him quickly.  
The lights in the room began to blur. One thing was in focus, though: A face he hadn’t seen in twenty years.  
For the last time in this existence, Goodnight Robicheaux smiled.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“I always knew.”  
Goodnight had woken from his slumber on fresh, cool cotton sheets. He hadn’t thought he’d survive the gunshot, but by some miracle he had. God isn’t through with me yet, he thought with disappointment.  
Not hungry, he still tried to eat his soup, encouraged by the presence of Serena who was sitting in the corner rocking chair.  
He looked at her sharply as she spoke her words. Puzzled, he stared at her.  
“I always knew who you were.”  
The spoon clattered in the soup bowl.  
“It didn’t matter to me. I could tell by looking at you that underneath your bravado, you’re a good man.”


End file.
